Do or Die
by ChikaMegumi
Summary: Being a shinobi automatically puts you into many situations...including the ones where you either live or die. Sakura x ?


**Author's Notes –**

-- Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, I am not making any profits from this fanfiction and do not intend copyright infringement.  
-- Not sure what this pairing is going to be. There are many possibilities; Sakura x Neji/Itachi/Sasuke/Kakashi/Genma...you get the point.  
-- Bear with me, I'm a slow updater.  
-- Please enjoy and review! :)

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**Chapter One – False Pretense**

It was a secret thing she did. Not a clichéd diary or anything of that sort. She wasn't that same little girl anymore, but she was still Haruno Sakura. She still had cotton candy pink locks and viridian eyes that shifted from shades of jade to sea foam depending on how she was feeling. She still didn't have the heart of a true shinobi, though had the right emotions needed to be a remarkable medic.

Tonight the moon was burning red. If it weren't dark, maybe it could be mistake for the sun. The golden glow of the giant orb was gorgeous as it accented the crisp, autumn leaves of Fire Country. The beauty of it was ironic. How could everything look so right and perfect when in reality the world was so wrong and distorted?

She took care in sneaking out every four weeks, on the night of the full moon. It was like a sacred ritual. She would take care in hiding her secret from the world. She would mourn for Sasuke. Wait in the forest, out of sight.

Sometimes she would even have dreams, when she was in the same forest, hugging the boarder of Konoha. If she took one more step outward, she would have been outside the confines of her village. Just like Sasuke. That one step out would be the one taste of true freedom would have lured her away. And she would wake up, panting and sweating and unspoken words would be tingling on her lips. Words unsaid that would have made the biggest difference.

_Sasuke_.

With elegant grace, Sakura left her house from her window, two stories high. She jumped and grabbed onto the edge of the roof, applying some chakra to her hands to act like glue as she hung suspended in the air. She swung her feet in the air over her head, flipping herself right side up into a crouching stance upon the roof. Wordlessly, she leapt across rooftops towards her destination.

The trees didn't sway as she leapt from branch to branch, and animals didn't even notice her presence. The only noises she heard in the silent night were the beating of her heart and her breathing. It was quiet, almost too quiet. But when had Sakura ever discovered any disturbances other than her own?

She hid her chakra signature as best she could; as if her life depended on it. After sensing no other presence, she descended from the trees to the familiar unmarked path below.

This was the place with fewest memories, yet was the most important to her.

She stood where she always stood, hindrance freezing her to the spot.

"It was you," the deep, monotone voice accused, knowingly.

Panic spread through her system as if she were being pursued by one of Orochimaru's snakes or Kisame and Samahada. Followed by embarrassment after she finally realized who it was.

She withdrew a kunai, putting herself into a defensive stance.

"Your attempts are futile. Do you really believe that you can save yourself with a mere kunai?" A man, not much taller than herself, critiqued her movements.

It wasn't him. It couldn't be. But who else could have broken through her genjutsu with such ease so quickly?

"It'sss..y..you!" She choked on the words, wanting to believe them. Saying it made it feel so real, she hoped it wasn't setting herself up for disappointment.

He was a silhouette but became more distinguishable as he approached. It was unmistakable, right? What seemed to be an older version of Sasuke approached. Raven hair was gathered in a pony tail, which disappeared into the high collar of his cloak. It was a shiny black, accented with red clouds. The wind swirled ominously and the roomy sleeves and long hem flowed in synchronized movements.

Sakura wasn't far off the mark. She had a reason to panic, to be scared for her life. Embarrassment was the least of her worries. Though disappointment tugged at her heart, even at this moment in time.

"You have mistaken me for Sasuke, Haruno-san." Itachi now stood a mere meter away from Sakura.

Silence dragged on, this time Sakura didn't hear her breathing…or his. Another genjutsu?

Sakura assessed the situation as best she could. When would the ANBU be circling around? Could she take him on? Would he kill her? Why was he even here? Were there more from Akatsuki?

Itachi smirked, his crimson eyes seeing right through Sakura, "Not to worry, I'm not here to kill you. And I'm not here for the demon either."

Sakura felt some relief; as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Though she still felt as if she'd been backed into a corner and surrounded. She hadn't felt this degree of terror since the Chuunin Exams. When in the Forest of Death, she was left to protect Sasuke herself. But this time she didn't have Naruto to come protect her and save the day.

She was on her own.

Sakura nodded, "Then what is your business here?" She thought she almost saw a smile on Itachi's face before he began.

Sakura wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable.

"I've come to offer a deal you can't refuse." Itachi simply stated as he pointed a finger at her. He didn't like using someone else's words, but continued on with the plan.

Sakura hesitated; he didn't say that negotiations couldn't be made… She nodded slowly.

"Listen carefully; Kisame, Deidara and Sasori are positioned in the village, with orders to kill and destroy on my mark. Unless…you come with me and do as I say."

What the hell was this? Was he serious? Sakura knew she had to say yes, she couldn't betray her village and put them in danger, but…was this betraying Naruto? Was she going to hand herself over to the Akatsuki – willingly – knowing this was so they could finally get the Kyuubi?

"And if I were you, I wouldn't try screaming. Now, would you please follow me?"

"Wait, I never agreed to anything," Sakura responded icily. "What are you going to do with me?"

"Use you, of course." Itachi answered so vaguely it made Sakura itch inside.

Sakura's brain was working furiously as it tried to figure out what other options were available.

"I forgot to mention," Itachi lured, "Part of your duties would be to retrieve Sasuke-kun from Sound. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

He was at her side before she could even blink, or take a breath.

She inhaled through her nose, without realizing that Itachi was breathtakingly close. The scent that she'd just breathed in was his. It was all too familiar, and she felt her mind unravel.

"What other choice have I got?" she surrendered all too willingly.

Surprise and giddiness ran through Sakura all over again. Wasn't this what she wanted? Sasuke back? Didn't Naruto want that too?

Was everything about to fall into place? Had her prayers been answered?

Of course, Sakura thought about why the Akatsuki would want _her_ to help _them_ and what would be at stake. But the possibility of Team Seven being reunited seemed worth it.

No, it didn't, but it definitely was alluring. Once they were reunited and returned to serve Konoha, wouldn't it be alright? That's what the 12 year old naïve Sakura would've thought.

Technically she had no other choice than to accept Itachi's proposal. She wanted to accept, and not just for the sake of her home village. He had been right; it was a deal that she couldn't turn down. Her mind had already been made when she registered the scent of campfires and ash.

Itachi took her by the wrist, and he knew he was affecting her body. He felt satisfaction as he felt her pulse beat wildly beneath her skin and took enjoyment in making a blush creep up her cheeks as they rose high, into the trees.

A loud echo ensued from down, where she first met Itachi. Suddenly, Sakura recognized the voice.

It was hers.

X

Pain shortly followed, and she squeezed her eyes shut in agony. She felt the type of pain that kept you mentally immobilized. You could feel your body cringe and jerk uncontrollably without even knowing why.

Sakura felt a cold finger pry her eyelid up as a light shone brightly into them.

"Sakura-san, can you hear me?"

Sakura opened her eyes, blinking away what had happened. The pain in her body had finally subsided, and she felt the cool sensation of healing chakra relieving her pain.

She saw the porcelain ANBU mask first, soon made out who was behind the mask.

"…Neji?" she croaked with uncertainty.

She wished she hadn't, a sickening wave of nausea suddenly overcame her. She held her breath and gritted her teeth, hoping it would pass.

"Do not speak," the ANBU replied, putting a finger to her lips.

Sakura tried to sit up, so he removed his other hand from her upper abdominals. It had lingered there in the last few moments, without emitting healing chakra. His thumb grazed dangerously close to her breast. This, also, made a blush creep up to her face.

There was no longer any lighting besides the moon, but Sakura still hoped to Kami-sama that he couldn't notice her face redden in the darkness.

Seconds passed, which turned into minutes. After what seemed like forever, the ANBU emerged from his squatting position, and offered his hand to Sakura.

She graciously took it, forcing her body to cooperate.

Again, the nausea ensued, and she struggled for balance. He grabbed Sakura's upper arm by his hand, and helped steady her like a father helping his toddler walk.

She was exactly where she was when she encountered Itachi. If that was even Itachi. Itachi. The Akatsuki. It all came flooding back to her, the agreement, the others. The others.

_Listen carefully; Kisame, Deidara and Sasori are positioned in the village, with orders to kill and destroy on my mark. Unless…you come with me and do as I say._

"We've got to go, _now_." Sakura suddenly recalled.

She was now looking around, for any traces of Itachi.

"Itachi Uchiha," she whispered, as if he was still around. "He was here, the Akatsuki are here!"

This certainly got the ANBU's attention.

"It was _he_ who cast the genjutsu on you?"

He said something into his headset, along the lines of "fall back."

"I'm not sure if he was the one who cast it, but he was in it." Sakura did her best to recount, but couldn't figure out what had really happened.

"Are you alright to move, Sakura-san?" the ANBU asked hurriedly. It didn't seem as if he would be taking no for an answer.

She nodded and gritted her teeth. Did she have a choice? No. She hardly ever did.

As soon as they entered the trees, the ANBU activated his Byakugan.

"Neji?" Sakura asked again. There were others that possessed the Byakugan dojutsu, though the only two she initially knew were Hinata and Neji.

"Yes," he replied passively.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I already knew it was you." Sakura knew she wasn't supposed to even mention the real alias of an ANBU while they were on duty. Especially in a situation like the one they were dealing with. But she just had to be sure, for her own sanity.

"The genjutsu. It took a toll on your body," he warned.

"Really? I haven't noticed," Sakura felt the bitterness sink in as a side effect of her weariness.

The two weren't covering much ground and certainly didn't pass through unnoticed. Neji hardly made a sound as he leapt from branch to branch, close to Sakura's style before the run in. Now, Sakura moved with the grace of a drunken beast. If it bothered him, he didn't show it.

They came to a stop in a towering oak tree, its leaves thick and shielding, making a wall of dense cover. An ANBU came out from a curtain of leaves, which Sakura assumed was Tenten.

"The infiltrator escaped," she informed sourly. "Just like that, that bastard fled before I could even put up a fight."

"You know how fortunate you are?" Neji hissed. "You were told not to engage in battle, if you had, you'd be dead. I don't think you know what we're dealing with."

"Tell me why I'm so lucky that a spy slipped through my fingers."

"That spy is believed to be an Uchiha." Neji replied flatly, letting the truth sink in. "He was even able to land an assault before he escaped."

Tenten's eyes widened at the revelation. She wanted to go, "Noooo," exaggerating the 'o' sound as if she couldn't believe it. But that definitely wouldn't help her cause.

"I hope you're satisfied now. Increase boarder security to Level Three and assume all positions. Don't overlook the rivers," Neji ordered. "Report back promptly after completion."

Tenten slightly bowed before retreating back into the foliage.

Sakura wondered if Tenten still harbored cold feelings towards her for being Tsunade-shisou's main pupil. She knew how upset Tenten had been when news got around that it was Sakura, whom Tsunade had chosen and began to train.

X

Sakura was now in a position she had never believed to ever be in. She had to explain the events to several different people. She felt rather ashamed being cross examined and put into isolation. Hadn't she been the victim?

It was nearing one in the morning and different ANBU members preceded in and out of the interrogation room, seeking answers and explanations. Soon, Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Yo," he greeted, holding his hand up in a stop sign like fashion.

As his lone eye unwrinkled, it seemed to bulge a bit out of its socket. "Sakura, is that you?"

She nodded. "I'm just as shocked as you are, Sensei."

Kakashi looked at the clipboard in his hands, reading it over.

"I was summoned to confirm some information," he stated. "But you're a prior student so no can do. Why the hell did they even send me if they knew that?" Kakashi sighed. "You know already know why you're here, right?"

"I, as a witness and victim, am here for interrogation. I am aware that by honestly answering the questions asked of me, accusation or punishment cannot be bestowed unless evidence is found and a testimony is given. The reasoning for questioning is so that information can be found in order to identify and confirm other issues that need to be addressed."

Kakashi's face fell into all seriousness. "Perfect, you've got it down word for word. And I hope you know, this goes for whatever they ask, nothing but the truth must be told, otherwise you'll be in deep shit that not even the Hokage can get you out of. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"Yes, I understand." Sakura replied grimly. "I know, the odds are against me."

"Glad you know where you stand. I wish you the best, Sakura."

Just as soon as Kakashi's departure cloud dispersed, another entrance one popped up, revealing a disheveled Anko. A lavender silk robe was wrapped around her body, and there were matching slippers on her feet.

"Whoah, Pinky!" she rubbed her eyes and did a double take. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Being interrogated as a witness, isn't it obvious?" Sakura replied. "Sorry you got stuck here so early in the morning. I, er, hit my head so it couldn't wait 'til morning. You know, they're afraid I'll forget all the crap that happened the minute my head hits the pillow."

Anko nodded, "Yep, it's right here on the charts, hun. Let's start, the sooner we get a move on, the sooner we leave and get some shut eye."

"Can you tell me what you were doing last night, rather early this morning, when in the forest near the boundary of Konoha?" Anko asked.

"Reminscing." Sakura replied. "I go there every four weeks."

Anko nodded. "If that is so, then why were you concealing your chakra signature? And why had you set up a genjutsu?"

"Like I said, I was reminiscing. I wanted it to be private, I wanted to be alone."

"The odds aren't looking too good," Anko warned. "Let's see. As I understand, you encountered someone, is that true? Can you explain what happened in detail?"

Sakura took a deep breath, "I think I came across a Uchiha. I'm a medic training under Tsunade-sama. Not to brag but my skills are rather prominent, and for my genjutsus to be broken, and my presence detected, it would take someone with much greater skill. I saw the Sharingan eyes, as well. Later, I identified the user as Uchiha Itachi, donning a black cloak with red clouds. He even told me to come with him, that I had no choice. That there were Akatsuki members stationed about Konoha, ready to attack on his signal, unless I did what he said. At this point, when I'm about to pulled along by Itachi, Neji intervened. He broke the genjutsu."

Anko continued nodding, "Right, tell me Sakura, did you look directly into the eyes of the Uchiha?"

"I don't think I did, though I ended up in a genjutsu, so I assume I must have."

Anko nodded monotonously. "Do you know what happened to the Uchiha afterwards, or where he was going to take you?"

"No, I don't. But I have a feeling that I was going to be taken to the Leader."

"What makes you think that?"

"He spoke as an advocate for the organization."

"What else do you recall the Uchiha saying?"

"He said that I couldn't deny his offer. I apparently had no choice but to do what he said."

"And what was your response?"

"I did what he said. I didn't put up a fight but I did what I had to do for Konoha. I believed him. Because what if I thought it was a bluff, but it ended up being entirely true? What was I supposed to do?"

"Thanks Sakura," Anko replied. "I think it's time to wrap this up. You must be getting tired of retelling the same old story."

"Yeah," Sakura yawned on cue.

Anko lowered her voice, leaning towards Sakura. "This is off the record, kid. I'm only doin' this 'cause you're one of Kakashi's – the only one still here. Your story matches Hyuga's perfectly, but the beginning seems messed up. You know you're up against a bunch of old crooks and conartists. Watch your back."

"Now, would you follow me?" Anko suddenly morphed back into her rough, good humored self.

Sakura was led through a different door than the one she entered through, entering into another hall way.

"Security measures," Anko shrugged as they went in and out of corridors, around corners and up and down stairs. "Gotta love the labyrinth they came up with. You know how hard it is to find a bathroom when you gotta take a piss?"

They finally came up, out of the ground through a secret passage way. Sakura felt the temperature change instantly. She might as well have plunged into an icy lake. Kakashi was nearby, reading his signature orange book, seemingly unaffected. It was still dark, she wondered how he could still read. Cold dew blanketed every surface and a feeble wind whistled, just enough to be heard in the background.

"Hey!" Anko hissed, reaching for the book. "There's a Level Three security measure being enforced and you're reading your damn porn?"

Kakashi side-stepped, and grabbed her wrist. He studied Anko, enforcing a heavy silence.

Sakura followed his gaze, looking down and away quickly.

"You're right," Kakashi replied earnestly. "I could be looking at the real thing."

He let go of her, resisting the temptation to do something that would reward him a seat in hell. There had always been an ongoing game between him and Anko. Though now was a risky time to resume play.

Anko looked down at her robe, noticing how close it was to slipping open. Well, technically, it was open for the world to see her lacy, see through nightgown. Any other woman would have whipped her robe shut and slapped Kakashi's cheek before kicking him where it really counts.

"Damn you, Kakashi. That's enough. Not here, not now." Anko sighed, "Don't be difficult."

A heavy silence hit, and a Kakashi finally spoke out. "Come out, Genma."

Genma came out from the tree tops, landing promptly in front of the three. His ANBU mask hung around his neck and a receiver was clipped to his ear. As usual, there was a toothpick protruding from the side of his mouth. Sakura wondered if it had been glued there.

"Well what do we have here?" Genma took in the scene. Anko in her robe, was looking quite ruffled. Kakashi seemed to be thinking way too hard. And he noticed a younger girl that seemed out of place. But what was the norm for a few people gathered in the early morning hours?

He looked back and forth between Kakashi and Anko. "My, my, I assume I missed a show?"

"Yep," Anko replied. "Don't count on a rerun."

"Speaking about running, we're about to go."

Kakashi gestured for Sakura to walk in front of him. When she didn't move, he gave her a small shove before entering the cover of the trees, leaving Anko and Genma behind. Sakura automatically followed, doing her best to keep up with the jounin.

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**A/N –**

Not much to say. I'll get around to fixing this fic. I somewhat have a storyline but can't decide on many aspects.

-- CM


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